Chief Surveillance Commissioner: Annual Report

Baroness David: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	When they will publish the annual report for 2001–02 of the Chief Surveillance Commissioner appointed under section 91(1)(a) of the Police Act 1997.

Lord Williams of Mostyn: The Prime Minister has today laid before Parliament the annual report for 2001–02 of the Chief Surveillance Commissioner on the discharge of his functions under Part III of the Police Act 1997 and Part II of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000. As required, under Section 107(3A) of the Police Act 1997, after consultation with the Chief Surveillance Commissioner the Prime Minister can confirm that no matter has been excluded from the enclosed report.
	My right honourable friend the Prime Minister is most grateful to Sir Andrew Leggatt and his colleagues for the work which has gone into preparing it.

Criminal Records Bureau

Baroness Blatch: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to Written Answers by Lord Falconer of Thoroton on 6 November (WA111), whether:
	(a) no Minister or official from the Home Office formally agreed the specification for the contract with Capita to process criminal record checks, or
	(b) no Minister or official from the Home Office was responsible for the actual procurement of the contract with Capita to process criminal record checks.

Lord Falconer of Thoroton: Bernard Herdan, chief executive of the Criminal Records Bureau, (CRB) was the senior Home Office official responsible for the specification and for the actual award of the contract to Capita to process criminal record checks. Mr Herdan was, and remains, the senior accountable officer for the CRB.
	The Minister approved the user requirement for the CRB and the business case for public private partnerships outsourcing and agreed that a contract should be awarded on this basis.

Criminal Records Bureau

Baroness Blatch: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Who is authorised to see personal bank and building society details which appear on an application form for a criminal record check; and what guarantee there is for the applicant that such information cannot be used or abused.

Lord Falconer of Thoroton: All Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) staff are authorised to see applicants' personal information supplied on the disclosure application form. All civil servants and Capita staff must be cleared to government security standards, undertaken by the Home Office Security Unit. In addition all civil servant CRB staff who are responsible for seeing and handling sensitive disclosure information are checked to the same level as enhanced disclosures. Only civil servants have access to the sensitive information held by the police and other data sources. The CRB carries out security checks on the employees of the data processing companies contracted to it. Contractors are also under a legal requirement to ensure their staff respect the confidential nature of the information released to them by an applicant.
	The scope of personal information available within and to the CRB is limited, precisely to prevent information being used inappropriately. All information on applicants is held confidentially in secure computer files, and we have taken steps to ensure that our systems and procedures prevent authorised access and unlawful disclosure. The CRB has taken advice from the Information Commissioner during the time when the disclosure application forms and our procedures were being drafted, and all personal information applications provide with their disclosure application will be protected under the Data Protection Act 1998.

Criminal Records Bureau

Baroness Blatch: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether any penalty clauses were built into the contract with Capita to process criminal record checks; whether any such clauses have been invoked; and to what effect.

Lord Falconer of Thoroton: The contract contains a series of "Milestones" schedule dates, which, in turn have liquidated damage (financial remedies) regimes attached to them. The contract also defines contracted service levels, failure to achieve these results in financial remedies being applied by the agency. Both categories of financial remedy have been applied.

Updated Drug Strategy

Lord Hughes of Woodside: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	When they intend to publish their Updated Drug Strategy.

Lord Falconer of Thoroton: All controlled drugs are harmful and will remain illegal. Drug misuse is the biggest challenge society faces. It damages the health and life chances of individuals. It undermines family life, turns law-abiding citizens into thieves and erodes communities. It is essential that we educate the young about the dangers of drugs, prevent drug misuse, tackle the dealers to reduce the prevalence of drugs on the streets and reduce the harm drugs cause.
	To address this, the Government have published their Updated Drug Strategy developed to take account of new evidence of what works and to focus on delivery.
	In 1998 the first cross-cutting strategy was introduced to tackle drug trafficking, supply and misuse. This update builds on the foundations laid and the lessons learnt. We must concentrate on the most dangerous drugs, the most damaged communities and the individuals whose addiction and chaotic lifestyles are the most harmful, both to themselves and others. Education, prevention, enforcement, treatment and harm minimisation are our most powerful tools.
	Setting out a range of policies and interventions, the Updated Drug Strategy provides:
	A tougher focus on Class A drugs;
	A stronger focus on education, enforcement and treatment to prevent and tackle problematic drug use;
	More resources—direct annual expenditure for tackling drugs will rise from £1,026 million in this financial year to £1,244 million in the next financial year, £1,344 million in the year starting April 2004 to a total annual spend of nearly £1.5 billion in the year starting April 2005—an increase of 44 per cent;
	A major new education campaign to be launched in Spring 2003 to drive home the risks of drug misuse. More support for parents, carers and families so they can easily access advice, help, counselling and mutual support;
	More help for the young people most at risk of developing drug problems through increased outreach and community treatment and an extension of drug testing and referrals to treatment and care via the youth justice system so that by 2006, we are able to support 40,000 to 50,000 vulnerable young people a year;
	Strengthened enforcement—including new cross-regional police teams to tackle middle markets and targeted policing to crack down on crack;
	A major expansion of services to refer people into treatment via the criminal justice system. We will use every opportunity from arrest, to court and sentence to identify drug-misusing offenders and engage them in treatment. Starting from next year in the highest crime areas with the worst drug problems we will roll out a comprehensive end-to- end approach. This will ensure that every drug-addicted offender is identified through drug testing at the point of arrest and charge and given the choice at their bail hearing of entering treatment rather than entering custody. All this is backed up by extra resources for arrest referral, drug treatment and testing orders, treatment in prison and youth offending institutes and for post-release treatment and support for those leaving custody;
	An expansion of treatment services to ensure access is available when needed and is tailored to individual need, including residential treatment. Improved treatment for crack and cocaine users and heroin prescribing properly supervised for all those who would clinically benefit from it. By 2008, we will have developed the capacity to treat 200,000 problematic drug users each year. Funding for treatment services, including prisons, will increase by £45 million in the next financial year, £54 million for the year starting from April 2004 and £115 million from April 2005. This will be boosted by treatment funding associated with drug treatment and testing orders of nearly £10 million in the next financial year, £12 million in the year starting from April 2004 and £16 million from April 2005—bringing the total direct annual spend on treatment up to £589 million by 2005;
	New aftercare and throughcare services to help those leaving prison or treatment remain free from drugs;
	Strengthened capacity to deliver first in the areas with the greatest problems and improved services in those areas most affected by crack use; and
	Revised targets which are challenging but achievable.
	Copies of Updated Drug Strategy 2002 have been placed in the Library. It is also available on the web at http://www.drugs.gov.uk

Iraq

Lord Hughes of Woodside: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is the human rights situation in Iraq.

Baroness Amos: On 2 December 2002, Her Majesty's Government published a report on human rights abuses in Iraq. It is based on intelligence material, first-hand accounts of Iraqi victims of torture and oppression, and reports amassed by NGOs over the past decade. The report examines Iraq's record on torture, the treatment of women, prison conditions, arbitrary and summary killings, the persecution of the Kurds and Shia, the harassment of opposition figures outside Iraq and the occupation of Kuwait.
	The Iraqi regime's contempt for international law and its attachment to weapons of mass destruction were documented in the Government's dossier published on 24 September. Its dreadful human rights record is widely known. Her Majesty's Government consider it important that Parliament and the public should have accurate information about the awful reality of Saddam Hussein's policy of regime terror, which sustains his rule inside Iraq.

Lighthouses

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by Lord Macdonald of Tradeston on 5 November (WA 92-93), whether they have received representations about bringing lighthouses around Britain and Ireland under the British-Irish Council; and, if so, from whom.

Lord Macdonald of Tradeston: We have received one representation from the Northern Ireland Executive concerning lighthouses in Ireland and Northern Ireland only.

European Bus Directive

Lord Pearson of Rannoch: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the reply by Lord McIntosh of Haringey on 27 November (HL Deb, cols. 743–44), what is the position with the European Bus Directive, and whether the future of the double-decker bus is assured.

Lord Macdonald of Tradeston: The directive was adopted on 20 November 2001. Officials at the Department of Transport are in the process of completing initial consultations requesting views on the proposed method of implementing it into UK legislation. We are proposing to integrate the requirements of the directive into a consolidation of existing bus and coach regulations to make them simpler and easier to understand. It is hoped to implement this consolidation in the latter half of 2003.
	The directive will have no effect on the use of existing double-decker buses operating in the UK. Our regulations will permit the current design of low-floor, accessible double-decker buses to continue to be produced.

Civil Defence Grants

Baroness Gale: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	If they will publish (a) the aggregate amount of civil defence grants to be made for the financial year 2003–04, (b) the amount of grant to be paid in to each local authority, and (c) any formula or other criteria used to determine the allocation between authorities.

Lord Macdonald of Tradeston: The aggregate amount is £19,038,000 of which £100,000 will be retained as discretionary grant for special projects and special events deemed of benefit to the wider emergency planning community in England and Wales.
	The remaining £18,938,000 will be allocated to individual authorities as set out in the table below.
	The grants have been allocated in the same way as last year, but with each authority receiving an equal share of the additional £70,000 available. Every authority thereby receives a slight increase in grant of £386.
	
		
			 Local Authority Grant Allocation 2003–04 (£) 
			 Anglesey/Ynys Mon 61,342 
			 Barking and Dagenham 75,969 
			 Barnet 80,694 
			 Barnsley 76,076 
			 Bath and North East Somerset 90,011 
			 Bedfordshire 136,511 
			 Bexley 78,758 
			 Birmingham 187,380 
			 Blackburn with Darwen 70,658 
			 Blackpool 66,662 
			 Blaenau Gwent 63,083 
			 Bolton 82,674 
			 Bournemouth 70,122 
			 Bracknell Forest 63,899 
			 Bradford 125,756 
			 Brent 86,592 
			 Bridgend 68,323 
			 Brighton and Hove 81,172 
			 Bristol 98,486 
			 Bromley 84,980 
			 Buckinghamshire 200,557 
			 Bury 71,195 
			 Caerphilly 73,088 
			 Calderdale 74,574 
			 Cambridgeshire 163,057 
			 Camden 84,175 
			 Cardiff 87,322 
			 Carmarthenshire 73,858 
			 Ceredigion 64,143 
			 Cheshire 189,969 
			 Conwy 64,811 
			 Cornwall 189,279 
			 Corporation of London 60,145 
			 Coventry 77,776 
			 Croydon 90,666 
			 Cumbria 216,116 
			 Darlington 63,899 
			 Denbighshire 71,434 
			 Derby 76,503 
			 Derbyshire 220,459 
			 Devon 217,294 
			 Doncaster 85,516 
			 Dorset 175,886 
			 Dudley 82,908 
			 Durham 213,601 
			 Ealing 90,344 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire 72,166 
			 East Sussex 208,288 
			 Enfield 88,198 
			 Essex 315,112 
			 Flintshire 77,741 
			 Gateshead 79,140 
			 Gloucestershire 189,960 
			 Greater Manchester FCDA 64,060 
			 Greenwich 86,482 
			 Gwynedd 67,698 
			 Hackney 88,145 
			 Halton 68,137 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 76,719 
			 Hampshire 298,996 
			 Haringey 85,624 
			 Harrow 65,726 
			 Hartlepool 64,650 
			 Havering 77,685 
			 Herefordshire 70,229 
			 Hertfordshire 310,886 
			 Hillingdon 81,386 
			 Hounslow 80,742 
			 Hull (Kingston upon Hull) 72,265 
			 Isle of Wight 72,230 
			 Isles of Scilly 53,708 
			 Islington 83,424 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 74,788 
			 Kent 339,586 
			 Kingston upon Thames 67,654 
			 Kirklees 95,431 
			 Knowsley 74,359 
			 Lambeth 87,789 
			 Lancashire 315,233 
			 Leeds 172,987 
			 Leicester 88,896 
			 Leicestershire 192,957 
			 Lewisham 83,978 
			 Lincolnshire 212,793 
			 Liverpool 97,648 
			 London FEPA 151,825 
			 Luton 59,894 
			 Manchester 147,667 
			 Medway 81,547 
			 Merseyside FCDA 73,332 
			 Merthyr Tydfil 60,998 
			 Merton 72,053 
			 Middlesbrough 71,355 
			 Milton Keynes 81,404 
			 Monmouthshire 62,154 
			 Neath Port Talbot 70,259 
			 Newcastle Upon Tyne 102,823 
			 Newham 88,226 
			 Newport 68,616 
			 Norfolk 276,813 
			 North East Lincolnshire 71,624 
			 North Lincolnshire 69,532 
			 North Somerset 71,248 
			 North Tyneside 74,091 
			 North Yorkshire 244,523 
			 Northamptonshire 239,260 
			 Northumberland 188,122 
			 Nottingham 86,321 
			 Nottinghamshire 210,927 
			 Oldham 79,294 
			 Oxfordshire 202,459 
			 Pembrokeshire 66,735 
			 Peterborough 72,214 
			 Plymouth 81,708 
			 Poole 66,635 
			 Portsmouth 74,467 
			 Powys 85,886 
			 Reading 67,386 
			 Redbridge 82,566 
			 Redcar and Cleveland 69,693 
			 Rhondda Cynon Taff 82,319 
			 Richmond upon Thames 69,424 
			 Rochdale 77,310 
			 Rotherham 81,654 
			 Rutland 56,443 
			 Salford 72,386 
			 Sandwell 88,413 
			 Sefton 84,015 
			 Sheffield 96,386 
			 Shropshire 153,834 
			 Slough 68,566 
			 Solihull 73,716 
			 Somerset 164,359 
			 South Gloucestershire 76,183 
			 South Tyneside 71,516 
			 South Yorkshire FCDA 84,356 
			 Southampton 77,470 
			 Southend 71,966 
			 Southwark 77,343 
			 St Helens 73,333 
			 Staffordshire 226,842 
			 Stockport 79,992 
			 Stockton-on-Tees 73,877 
			 Stoke-on-Trent 74,413 
			 Suffolk 221,786 
			 Sunderland 101,107 
			 Surrey 297,388 
			 Sutton 73,126 
			 Swansea 78,933 
			 Swindon 71,355 
			 Tameside 77,310 
			 Telford and Wrekin 72,385 
			 Thurrock 68,666 
			 Torbay 67,440 
			 Torfaen 64,876 
			 Tower Hamlets 93,509 
			 Trafford 75,754 
			 Tyne and Wear FCDA 34,892 
			 Vale of Glamorgan 72,385 
			 Wakefield 86,667 
			 Walsall 83,639 
			 Waltham Forest 83,532 
			 Wandsworth 79,155 
			 Warrington 72,804 
			 Warwickshire 181,722 
			 West Berkshire 67,815 
			 West Midlands FCDA 60,386 
			 West Sussex 225,386 
			 West Yorkshire FCDA 61,593 
			 Westminster 86,804 
			 Wigan 84,497 
			 Wiltshire 194,786 
			 Windsor and Maidenhead 66,796 
			 Wirral 89,861 
			 Wokingham 66,525 
			 Wolverhampton 82,030 
			 Worcestershire 186,835 
			 Wrexham 72,926 
			 York 72,220

HMS "Nottingham"

Lord Burlison: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What plans they have for the repair of HMS "Nottingham".

Lord Bach: When the destroyer HMS "Nottingham" grounded in Australian waters on 7 July 2002 she sustained severe damage and flooding in the forward part of the ship. She is now on passage to the UK on a heavy lift ship and is expected to arrive in United Kingdom waters on 7 December. She will then be unloaded and towed into HM naval base at Portsmouth where a contract has been placed for her repair with Fleet Support Limited. The repair work—which will cost around £26 million, including all materials supplied by the department—is expected to last up to 18 months. HMS "Nottingham" is expected to return to operational service in November 2004.
	HMS "Nottingham" is a highly capable Type 42 destroyer designed to provide area air defence either independently or as an integral component of larger joint or coalition maritime task groups. Her key weapons, sensors and command system were significantly ungraded during an extensive refit in 1999–2000. These improvements will enable the ship to keep pace with the increasing demands of maritime air defence during the next 10 years and will aid interoperability with key allies, in particular the USA. HMS "Nottingham's" contribution will be crucial to bridging the air defence gap during the drawdown in Sea Harrier air defence aircraft beginning in 2005 and the introducton of the Type 45 destroyer from 2007.
	To ease the short-term programming gap in the fleet created by HMS "Nottingham's" unavailability, HMS "Glasgow", an older and less capable Type 42, is being regenerated from a planned state of lower readiness. An alternative solution which would have given HMS "Glasgow" a similar capability upgrade to that received by HMS "Nottingham" was deemed to provide best value for money.

Armed Forces: Invalidity Pensions

Lord Howie of Troon: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether the internal review of mistaken taxation of some Armed Forces invalidity pensions has been completed.

Lord Bach: On 25 April 2002 (Official Report, cols. 426–27W), we informed the House in another place that the problem of mistaken taxation of some service invalidity pensions were more extensive than previously understood. We reported that we had set up an internal review, independent of the staffs involved, to establish the extent of the taxation errors and expose any related problems. This review is now complete.
	The review has established that the taxation problem is more extensive than we indicated in April. It is now clear that some RAF pensions are affected, and that RN pensions affected are not limited to the period 1973–99. In addition, the review has found that further work is needed on Army pensions; this is required both to re-examine more thoroughly certain cases adjudged when first reviewed as correctly taxed, and to examine for the first time some other cases previously not thought to be at risk.
	The findings of the review mean that the number of files needing examination has proved considerably larger than we stated previously. We now expect it will not be possible to complete a comprehensive check for all three services before next summer. We regret that this work cannot be done faster, but it is vital that it be done accurately by suitably cleared staff who are also familiar with the relevant documents. The pace of the work is also affected by the lack of comprehensive computerised information distinguishing invalidity pensions from others. This has made it necessary to handle tens of thousands of files which are not at risk in order to identify those that are. This difficulty continues to affect progress.
	We are very much aware of the importance of giving as much priority as possible to examining the cases of our oldest pensioners. Although over 70 per cent of errors identified so far affect younger pensioners, discharged in or after 1990, we anticipate that errors still to be found will include some affecting the oldest age-group. We much regret that in several of the cases recently re-examined a pensioner, previously misadvised that his pension was correctly taxed, has died before an error was recognised. In such cases the tax refund is to be paid, with due apology, to the pensioner's widow or estate.
	A further problem brought to light by the review is that some of the pensions taxed in error were also affected by an underpayment of Armed Forces pension scheme benefits. Over 350 pensioners have so far been identified in this category, most of whom were discharged in the 1990s. The average underpayment in these cases was around £4,500. The cost to date of rectifying tax errors has been some £5 million, which happens also to be an average of some £4,500 per pensioner.
	The review includes a full analysis of the causes of errors and the necessary remedial action; the latter is already in hand. The procedures used in the conduct of the review have been validated by the National Audit Office. The NAO's letter of validation and the report of the review have been placed in the Library of the House.

Social Work: Awards of Undergraduate Qualifications

Lord Northbourne: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many persons were awarded the National Diploma in Social Work last year; and how this figure compares with each of the previous five years.

Baroness Ashton of Upholland: The latest available information showing the number of students who obtained undergraduate diplomas or certificates, is shown in the following table. Information for 2001–02 will be available in January 2003.
	
		Students obtaining qualifications in social work HE institutions in the UK
		
			  Year of qualification: 
			  1995–96 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 
			 Qualification type: 
			 Diploma of HE 2,002 2,039 1,927 1,686 1,479 1,645 
			 Certificate of HE 70 86 298 274 370 335 
			 HND/HNC 135 188 166 207 210 337 
			 Other undergraduate diploma/certificate 1,258 1,174 1,024 1,005 923 1,225 
			  
			 Total 3,465 3,487 3,415 3,172 2,982 3,542 
		
	
	Source:
	Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) Student Record.

School Admissions: Consultation Document

Lord Pilkington of Oxenford: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether copies of the consultation document on school admissions were sent to all schools and governing bodies; and who else received the consultation document.

Baroness Ashton of Upholland: As part of a drive to reduce the amount of paperwork sent directly to schools, the department routinely consults representative samples, rather than going to every individual school. In this instance, the consultation was targeted towards admission authorities, as they would have the most direct interest in changes to the codes and regulations. All local education authorities—as the admission authorities of community and voluntary controlled schools—were consulted, along with a representative sample of foundation and voluntary aided schools, who are their own admission authorities, and a smaller sample of other non-admission authority schools. The consultation was also available on the department's website. In addition, the following representative and national bodies were also consulted:
	Advisory Centre for Education (ACE) Ltd
	The Association of Foundation and Voluntary Aided Schools
	Association of London Government
	Association of Muslim Schools (UK)
	The Board of Deputies of British Jews
	British Humanist Association
	Campaign for State Education (CASE)
	Catholic Education Service and diocesan boards of education
	Centre for Academies Support Services (CASS)
	Church of England Board of Education and diocesan boards of education
	Commission for Racial Equality
	Consortium for Selective Schools in Essex
	Council on Tribunals
	CTC Principals' Forum
	Department of Health
	Equal Opportunities Commission
	Free Church Federal Council
	Greek Orthodox Church
	Home Office Immigration and Nationality Division
	Information for School and College Governors (ISCG)
	Local Government Association
	Local Government Ombudsman
	National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers
	National Confederation of Parent Teacher Associations
	National Governors Council
	National Union of Teachers
	Office of the Schools Adjudicator
	Public Sector Team, Cabinet Office
	Personnel Command—Personnel Services, Foreign and Commonwealth Office
	Secondary Heads Association
	Service Personnel Policy Families
	Seventh-Day Adventist Church
	Sikh Secretariat
	Society of Friends
	The Education Network
	The Muslim Educational Trust
	The Wales Office

Foot and Mouth: Research into Emotional, Social and Mental Health Consequences

Lord Inglewood: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will undertake or commission further work into the emotional, social and mental health consequences of foot and mouth disease in Cumbria; and whether the research should be extended to encompass children.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: A national study is currently being carried out by the Institute of Health Research at Lancaster University, on behalf of the Department of Health, and is due to conclude in 2004.
	In the mean time the Department of Health through the Rural Stress Action Plan continues to work closely with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to support farmers and their families with the aim of delivering support that will make a difference to those in need.

NHS Managers: Early Retirements

Earl Howe: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many managerial staff, at each grade and for each region of the National Health Service, have been granted concessionary pension benefits arising from early retirement during the financial years 2001–02 and 2002–03 to date; and
	How many managerial employees of the National Health Service who took early retirement in the financial years 2001–02 and 2002–03 to date were aged 61-65, 56-60, 51-55, and 50 and under respectively.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The information requested is not collected centrally. The number of early retirements, in respect of all National Health Service staff in England and Wales, in the financial years 2001–02 and up to October 2002–03, is in the table:
	
		
			  Number 
			 2001–02 5,755 
			 2002–03 2,746 
		
	
	Early retirements include those from age 50, on the grounds of redundancy, retirement in the interests of the efficiency of the service, agreed voluntary early retirement and ill-health retirements at any age.

NHS: Cost of Temporary Workers

Baroness Noakes: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What was the cost to the National Health Service in 2001–02 of temporary workers, broken down between the cost of doctors, nurses and other staff categories.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: Information on the cost to the National Health Service in 2001–02 of temporary workers, by category, is not available yet, but figures are expected to be available from mid-December 2002.

Primary Healthcare: Rural One-Stop Centres

Baroness Byford: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Rural Proofing Report (page 20), how many rural, one-stop, primary healthcare centres have been opened since the production of the report.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The NHS Plan sets a target to create 500 new one-stop centres to bring together primary and community care services. The rural White Paper announced that up to 100 of these centres or mobile service units will serve rural populations. Data are currently being analysed and a copy of the results will be placed in the Library when available.

European Union: Forthcoming Council Business and Major Events

Lord Hughes of Woodside: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is the forthcoming business in the Council of the European Union for December, and what are the major European Union events for the period between 1 January and 30 June 2003.

Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: Business in the Council of the European Union, December 2002 including major European Union events, 1 January to 30 June 2003 is as follows:
	December
	2—Brussels—Meeting on Macro Economic Dialogue (Ministerial Troika)
	3—Brussells—ECOFIN
	2-3—Brussels—Employment, Social Policy, Health & Consumer Affairs Council
	4—Brussels—Meeting of the Praesidium
	5-6—Brussels—Transport, Telecom & Energy Council
	9—Brussels—General Affairs Council
	9-10—Brussels—Environment Council
	12-13—Copenhagen—European Council
	16-19—Brussels—Agricultural & Fisheries Council
	19—Brussels—Meeting of the Praesidium
	20—Brussels—Justice & Home Affairs & Civil Protection Council
	20-21—Brussels—Convention Plenary—External Action & Defence Working Group Conclusions
	
		
			 Date Location Event 
			 January 2003  
			 9 Brussels Meeting of the Praesidium 
			 9 Brussels Agriculture & Fisheries Council  (tbc) 
			 16 Brussels Meeting of the Praesidium 
			 20 Brussels EUROGROUP (evening) 
			 20 Brussels Convention Plenary 
			 20–21 Brussels Agriculture & Fisheries Council 
			 21 Brussels ECOFIN 
			 24 Nafplion Employment Council (Ministerial  Informal) 
			 27–28 Brussels General Affairs & External  Relations Council 
			 28 Brussels EU-ASEAN Ministerial 
			 30 Brussels Meeting of the Praesidium 
			 February 2003 
			 5 Brussels Meeting of the Praesdium 
			 6–7 Brussels Convention Plenary 
			 10–11 Brussels Agriculture & Fisheries Council  (tbc) 
			 13 Brussels Meeting of the Praesidium 
			 17 Brussels EUROGROUP (evening) 
			 18 Brussels ECOFIN 
			 20 Brussels Education, Youth & Culture  Council (tbc) 
			 22 Thessaloniki Energy Council (Ministerial  Informal) 
			 24–25 Brussels General Affairs & External  Relations Council Agriculture  & Fisheries 
			 26 Brussels Meeting of the Praesidium 
			 27–28 Brussels Convention Plenary 
			 27–28 Brussels Justice & Home Affairs Council 
			 28 Brussels Employment, Social Policy,  Health & Consumer Affairs  Council 
			 March 2003 
			 1–2 Ioannina Informal Education 
			 3 Brussels Competitiveness Council 
			 4 Brussels Environment Council 
			 6 Brussels Meeting of the Praesidium 
			 6 Luxembourg Employment, Social Policy,  Health & Consumer Affairs  Council 
			 6 Luxembourg EUROGROUP (evening) 
			 7 Luxembourg ECOFIN 
			 7 Luxembourg Transport, Telecom & Energy  Council 
			 13 Brussels Meeting of the Praesidium 
			 14–15 Athens (Informal Defence Meeting) 
			 17–18 Brussels Convention Plenary 
			 17–18 Luxembourg Agriculture & Fisheries Council 
			 18–19 Luxembourg General Affairs & External  Relations Council 
			 21 Brussels European Council 
			 27 Brussels Meeting of the Praesidium 
			 27 Veria Justice and Home Affairs Council  (Ministerial Informal) 
			 27–28 Luxembourg Transport, Telecom & Energy  Council 
			 27–28 Athens EU-Rio Group, EU- MERCOSUR 
			 28–29 Veria Informal Justice & Home Affairs  (Veria) 
			 31 Brussels Agriculture & Fisheries Council  (tbc) 
			 April 2003 
			 2 Brussels Meeting of the Praesidium 
			 3–4 Brussels Convention Plenary 
			 4 Brussels Justice & Home Affairs 
			 4–6 Hania (Crete) Informal ECOFIN (Ministerial) 
			 5 Lisbon Europe—Africa Summit 
			 5 Ioannina Ministerial Meeting on Education  (Informal) 
			 10 Brussels Meeting of the Praesidium 
			 11–13 Chania ECOFIN (Informal) 
			 14 Brussels General Affairs & External  Relations 
			 14 Brussels Agriculture & Fisheries 
			 16 Athens European Conference 
			 16 Athens Signature of the Accession  (Provisional Date) 
			 23 Brussels Meeting of the Praesidium 
			 24–25 Brussels Convention Plenary 
			 May 2003 
			 2–4 Greece Gymnich (Informal Foreign  Ministers) 
			 5 Athens Informal Environment  (Ministerial) 
			 5–6 Brussels Education, Youth & Culture  Council (tbc) 
			 8 Brussels Meeting of the Praesidium 
			 12–13 Corfu Agriculture (Ministerial Informal) 
			 12–13 Brussels Competitiveness 
			 12 Brussels EUROGROUP 
			 13 Brussels ECOFIN 
			 14 Brussels Meeting of the Praesidium 
			 14 Brussels Transport, Telecom & Energy  Council 
			 15–16 Brussels Convention Plenary 
			 16 Brussels EU—ACP Ministerial 
			 16–17 Halkidiki Informal Regional Policy  (Ministerial) 
			 16–18 Cruise off  Greece Informal Transport & Merchant  Marine (Ministerial) 
			 17 Brussels EU—W. Balkans  (Zagreb Process) 
			 19 Brussels General Affairs & External  Relations (plus Defence) 
			 20 Brussels General Affairs & External  Relations 
			 22 Brussels Meeting of the Praesidium 
			 24 Thessaloniki Informal Culture (Ministerial) 
			 26–27 Brussels Agriculture & Fisheries Council 
			 26–27 Athens EUROMED Conference  (Mid Term Ministerial) 
			 27 Brussels Environment Council 
			 28 Brussels Meeting of the Praesidium 
			 30–31 Brussels Convention Plenary 
			 31 St Petersburg EU—Russia Summit 
			 June 2003 
			 2 Brussels EUROGROUP 
			 2–3 Alexandroupoli Development Co-operation  (Ministerial Informal) 
			 2–3 Brussels Transport, Telecom & Energy  Council 
			 3 Brussels ECOFIN 
			 4 Brussels Meeting of the Praesidium 
			 5–6 Brussels Convention Plenary 
			 5–6 Brussels Justice & Home Affairs Council 
			 5–6 Brussels Employment, Social Policy,  Health & Consumer Affairs  Council 
			 11 Brussels Meeting of the Praesidium 
			 11–12 Brussels Agriculture & Fisheries Council 
			 12–13 Brussels Convention Plenary 
			 17–18 Brussels General Affairs & External  Relations 
			 20–21 Thessaloniki European Council 
			 22 Brussels General Affairs & External  Relations 
			 24 Brussels Employment, Social Policy,  Health & Consumer Affairs  Council

Intermediate Level Radioactive Waste

Lord Peyton of Yeovil: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether adequate arrangements exist for the disposal of intermediate nuclear waste following the dismantling of Hinkley Point nuclear power station.

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: All intermediate level radioactive waste (ILW) is currently stored in line with government policy. This is under review, and the present arrangements for managing ILW arising from the decommissioning of Hinkley Point A will be revised should the resulting policy require it.

Tourism: Regional Development Agency Staff

Lord Fearn: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many regional development agencies employ personnel specifically dealing with tourism in their areas.

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: All regional development agencies (RDAs) employ staff who have tourism as a specific part of their job description.
	As from April 2003 RDAs will play a stronger part in the strategic leadership of tourism in their regions, including working with the industry to develop a coherent marketing agenda. Regional tourist boards are the natural delivery partners for the RDAs.

DEFRA: Public Consultation

Baroness Byford: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many of the 83 public consultations the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs instigated since 1 June 2001 have been responded to and acted upon

Lord Whitty: Information on DEFRA public consultation exercises, including responses to consultations where respondents have not requested anonymity, can be obtained from the DEFRA website at www.defra.gov.uk.
	All DEFRA public consultation exercises are responded to and acted upon in the sense that every response is thoroughly analysed and taken into account in the development of policies and proposals. A large proportion of exercises result in proposals being changed in some way, or contribute to the development of policies or UK negotiating lines. Examples of changes made as a result of consultation include amendments to the tone and content of codes of practice, changes to draft legislation, and the withdrawal of some regulatory proposals. Our responses to some of the consultation exercises carried out this year are still under consideration.